Using design to help you get unstuck on what matters most
 

Photo credit Kalen Emsley Unsplash

Where is Home? is a design-driven program for people trying to figure out where to live when the possibilities are endless.

When you can choose anywhere in the world (more or less) to live, it’s both exhilarating and paralyzing. And no wonder: more than choosing a place, you’re identifying where you belong and who you are. That’s why I created this program. I’ve applied it to my own life and used it to help others. I’ve supported all kinds of people (couples, individuals, people who have all their stuff in storage waiting for what’s next, people who’ved moved and are second-guessing,…) through this very question.

If you’re asking the question Where is Home? when it could be almost anywhere, I can help you navigate this question with ease and confidence.

Together, we’ll define:

  • The values by which you want to live

  • Experiments you can run to gain confidence before making a final decision

  • Best ways to thrive in the in-between, aka liminal space (there’s magic there!)

  • (time permitting) Fun ways to settle in and build belonging

 

Hi! My name is Amy Bonsall and I’d love to tell you more in my own words…

 
 

If you’re asking this question and the answer isn’t straightforward, it’s likely because it falls into the camp of “hard decisions.” 

A hard decision:

  • Is defined as one in which more than one choice can be right, but for very different reasons. 

  • Feels like a leap of faith (”I suppose I have to move to NY to see if I like NY”) 

  • Is really easy to second guess (”was this the right choice? what about the alternative I didn’t pick?”). 

I’ve designed programs to address those three challenges by:

  • The reason this exploration becomes hard and often paralyzing is that it brings up questions about what you value most at this stage of your life. If you can choose anywhere, what are the constraints by which you ought to choose? Criteria (like city or country, north or south, etc.) often fail to help because they’re not actually spelling out your values. So we start by identifying what's really important to you in this phase of life, and why.

  • Even armed with our why, it can still feel impossible to choose… this is where experimentation comes to play. And I mean that literally: the goal of designing experiments is to make gathering more information and gaining more confidence lighter and more fun. We’ll do this by identifying questions that, if answered, would gain you clarity. And we’ll then design light and nimble experiments you can run.

  • One of the things that keeps us in a state of uncertainty about identifying home is that, when we can live anywhere, there’s no reason we can’t pick up and move once we’ve chosen a place… in a phrase, nothing is constraining us. So settling in is the critical third leg to balance this stool: commitment creates commitment. And you help douse the voice in your head that asks “have I chosen well?” by actively designing how you’ll settle in and build belonging.

 
 
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The Where is Home? Core Program addresses the first two pillars above (the third can be addressed separately once you arrive in your place).

There are two ways to access this program: as private coaching and as offsites for cohorts.  

You’ll leave with:

  • New clarity about what’s most important to you right now

  • Actionable next steps and shared commitments

  • Tools to continue to proactively navigate this and other hard decisions

  • (Group version): A cohort of new friends in a similar life stage

  • 10 sessions of group instruction and activities designed to help you get unstuck on the question of Where is Home?

    Members-only monthly newsletters

    Optional add-ons:

    • Two 1:1 check-in experiences of 30 minutes (per person, to be used within 6 months of program end)

    • Access to Amy via email during the program for questions

  • A three-month experience:

    • We meet over zoom for 6 sessions, 2 per month.

    • The first call is 90 minutes, remaining calls are 60 minutes. Each call focuses on a different activity to support your exploration, or if you prefer, you bring the topic.

    • A private Notion portal with all relevant materials and session notes

    • Together we agree on activities for you to complete between sessions

    • Amy is available by email between sessions

    • Members-only monthly newsletters

“Working with Amy is a dream. Think back to the best brainstorm you've ever experienced... ideas are flowing, it's a whole lot of fun. Now imagine the thing you're trying to solve is yourself. That's what the 'Where is Home?' program is like. Amy is supportive, collaborative, and a master synthesizer. She has helped me take big questions—like "what's important to me right now in a home?" or "how do I build community in a new place?" or "how will I know when it feels right?"—and break them down into tangible steps and experiments to prototype and try out.”

Where is Home? client

To learn more:

Sign up for an intro call with Amy:

More testimonials.

More about Amy Bonsall, founder, coach, designer and your facilitator.

More about our approach.

Contact us.

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Are you trying to decide
Where is Home?
Here’s a tool to get you started:

Pro-con lists tend to fail us when it comes to hard decisions (where more than one choice can be right but for different reasons). Instead, we benefit by getting clear on what’s most important to us right now. Then starting to look at our options. The Circle of Clarity activity will help you do that.

Circles of Clarity Activity: the first step to confidently choosing Where is Home?

Check out my activity for helping you gain a better understanding of what's important to you right now, the first step in gaining confidence and making this decision with clarity.

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